Method of producing metal salts and metals.



Canada,

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

JOHN WOODS IBECKHAN, OLE NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO, CANAaDA.

METHOD OF PRODUCING METAL SALTS AND METALS.

170 Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent; Application filed May 7, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Woons Bann- MAN, a resident of Niagara Falls, Ontarlo, have invented a new and useful Method of ,Producing Metal Salts and Metals, of which the following is a full,

clear, andexact description.

My'invention has relation to a novel method of producing metal salts, and also for obtaining metals from such salts, and is designed to provides novel, simple and efiicientmethod, whereby substantially pure metals may be obtained from impure oxids thereof.

My invention is applicable to the treatment of various mctals,'such as iron, aluminum, chromium, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, manganese and silicon, and in fact, to any metal whose oxid will form a salt with calcium.

In carrying out my invention, I mixthe oxid'of the metal with calcium oxid in asuitable electric furnace, capable of develop-- ing sufficient heat to cause the formation of a calcium, salt of the metal. Thus, in the case ofjiro'n', the reaction would be represented by the following equation:

provided it is desired to produce a monoasic' calc um salt of iron. For a dibasic, tribasic, nnbasic salt, the proportions of -theycalcium o rid and iron oxid willbe va- .,ri ed -"accdrdingly. It is possible; however,

.thattl e calciiin may. combine with a reater. quantity of 5 ironoxi'd, formi' taiiiiing' 53"" oalciuin'ffernite,.th s'being a matter which a sa t coneater. percentage of iron than h Bsi'lttime' can notbe readil' detery chemical investigation. he dal he metal thus produced may y. desired purl ose, but is emo obtain a-s'u stantiafly pure In in, the followin gi manner:

' e "ssin' current throir h it, and

" of o'xid of'th metal is 1 'f The bath is eleetrol :zed, x (alto precipitated, .'-hus rcaliinent jofiron, the-iron oxi' thc nccessary concentration.-

for tliereactions, I may usesulfid'. Thus, in itlie tne tn ent of;i-1-'o11, I may use iron sulfid vtailiing substantially pure metals rom1'im-.

' son'o-f: its high as above describe is main- 7 "state; of fusion in the. electric (Fe,,O,,) is decomposed to produce metallic iron and oxygen in accordance With the following equation:

the iron going to the negative pole and the oxygen to thepositivepole. The fused CaOFe,O acts asa vehicle for the Fe O, in the reaction, and also as the resistant to the heating current, by which the salt is maintained in a fused condition. It is possiblc and probable, however, that more .or less decom osition and reformation of the calcium sa t may take place.

Either direct or alternating current may be used tomaintain thebath in a state of fusion, while .di rect, current is used for the electrolysis. The. voltage of electrolyzin'g cuni ent should be regulated to suit the particular metal to be precipitated, higher voltages being required for some metals than for others, depending upon their heat of formation. This however, is a Inatter which the metallurgist can readily determine. A fresh charge of the oxid is added as required from time to time, to maintain Instead of using'oxid of the desired metal instead of iron oxid.

My invention. provides'a method of obpure oxide, or other compoundofithe metal, at a relatively-low cost A lange'number of metals form salts with calcium, which are capable "of treatment in 'th'= manner do;

scribed. Calcium-- oxid-can-beobtained-atarelatively low cost and is ofspecial advhns 9.0 tagein car-lying).-v out my invention by rea Q "oiling point andliigh heag. o-f -in' anation. By the term calcium saltof ametall usedherein and 'in theappendedc-Iaims refer to a salt of calcium having; onl as its-base, and: not .toa: doifiale saltf which contains calcium and sonic-alike I'clai-m."

b se ing a. metal from acompQ-und .W consists forming-w calcium Sill ill?" 1. The herein deseribed method 'ofliitainii stantially as described.

Q ll

metal and electrolyzing such salt in a fused condition, with a compound of the metal sresent in the fused bath, substantially as escribed,

2. The herein described method of obtaining a metal from a compound thereof, which consists in heating an oxid of the metal with calcium oxid in an electric furnace to there'- hy form a calcium salt of the metal, adding oxid of metal to the fused bath, and-electr0- lyzing the vbath in a state of fusion, sub- 3. The herein described method of obtaining a metal from a compound thereof, which consists in heating an oxid ofthe metal with a calcium compound in an electricfurna'ce to thereby, produce a calcium salt of the metal, maintaining such salt in a state of fusion in thefurnace, supplying additional oun'd of the metal, and electrolyzing 1 my hand;

com the Fused salt, substantially as described.

4. The herein described method of obtaining' a metal from an impure oxid thereof, which consists in forming a calcium salt of themetal and electrolyzin'g such salt inv a fused condition, with oxid of the metal sist's in heating an oxid of the ,metal with,

calcium oxid inan electric furnace to there'- by form a calcium salt of the metal, adding oxid of metal to the fused bath, and .ele ctrolyzing the bath in a state of fusion, s ubstantially as described.

v 6. The herein described method of obtaining a metal from an oxid thereof, which com sists in heating an oxid ofthe metal with calcium oxidin .an electric furnace-to there-.

by produce a calcium salt of the metal, main- -taining such salt in a state of fusionin thefurnace, supplyin additional oxid -of the metal, and electro zing the fused salt, substantially as 'descri ed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set JOHN WOODS BEGKMAN.

Witnesses! I I GEO. H PARMELEE,

, M.-QoRw'1N.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 973,336.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 973,336, granted October 18, 1910, upon the application of John Woods Beckman, of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Methods of Producing Metal Salts and Metals, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, lines 7 and for an improvement in 15, the words an oxid should read a compound; same page, line 10, the words oxld of metal should read a compozmd rgf the meld, same page, line 16, the words a calcium compound should read calcium avid; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of June, A. 1)., 19H.

[SEAL] C. C. BILLI N GS,

Arfi'ng C'mnmissirmer of Patents. 

